The back to school challenge: Prep without cost

Summertime, and the commuting is easy, as my going to work does not coincide with throngs of children going to school. Alas, my summer vacation from child-induced traffic jams is coming to an end — in a scant four weeks, the kids are back in school.

Some parents may have already finished back-to-school shopping. Others may not have even started.

Here are some totally free things you can do to prep for back to school:

1. Start easing everyone back into the wake-up times and morning routines they’ll need once school’s back in session. For those of you who had your kids in different camps all summer, this step may be unnecessary. For others who let their kids go to Camp Sleeptilten … time to start nudging your kid toward the inevitable early wake-up. It beats a panicked Benny Hill-style routine on the first day. (Unless that’s your idea of well-deserved come-uppance. Nobody would blame you.)

2. Swap school supplies with your friends and neighbors. You’ve got a few extra packs of glue sticks, and all you really want is some college-ruled looseleaf paper. Hit your neighborhood parents’ email list, Freecycle or Craigslist, post what you’ve got, and post what you want. There is probably another parent out there who is dying to unload their extra packs of paper and stock up on glue sticks. (Hey, if teachers can swap supplies, why not kids?)

3. Start bookmarking websites for the inevitable crafty projects and science experiments. (Make and Takes is a good site if you hear “crafts” and instantly shudder in anticipation of glue guns and glitter.)

4. Shop your closets for now. We all know the Bay Area’s got dozens of microclimates and none of them sync up with whatever retailers are offering for back-to-school outfits. So tell the kids it’s a little-known fact that Columbus discovered back-to-school shopping in October. By then, maybe the usual early-fall heat waves will have subsided, and you know retailers will have begun markdowns.

5. Create the habit of brown-bagging your lunch. Better yet, create the habit of supervising your children while they make their own lunches ahead of time. If you make this a routine now, you’ll be able to continue once school starts up.